lift me up or else i'll never stop
by prouvaires
Summary: -and the punches and electricity and insults can't hide this, not in the slightest.- LukeThalia


**Disclaimer: **I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

**A/N: **Challenge from never-ending nights with you. My first Percy Jackson piece! Also, I am aware that Thalia officially has blue eyes, but in the first book Rick Riordan describes her as having green eyes. And I like that idea of her! So here she is back in all her green-eyed glory. Set in the glorious world of my alternate-reality where Luke actually has a heart.

--

The lights flicker dimly on above her head, and she blinks fast to take stock of her situation, her eyes inadvertently watering at being so suddenly assaulted with such brightness after hours squeezed shut against absolute blackness.

A calloused thumb traces the bottom of her eye and gently wipes away the shameful tear, caressing the side of her face like a flower brushed against skin.

"Don't touch me," she spits, and her eyes snap to meet his, stormy green into icy blue.

"Still quite the little wildcat, I see," he drawls patiently, and she watches him pace across the room and throw himself into a chair facing her. He lounges casually, effortlessly elegant, his hateful sword belted around his slender hips as he runs a hand through his cropped hair and twists his lips in that grin she hate(love)s so much.

"Don't patronise me," she growls, tugging ineffectually at the bonds around her wrists as her eyes scan the dingy room for any possible escape route. She categorises them as she goes, her quick brain working to store all the information away as rapidly as possible.

"You won't get away," he says, as though he's reading her mind, and she recoils in the chair as he surges to his feet and walks measuredly back over to her. "Even if you can get out of this room you'll have to fight your way past an Aethiopian draken and then swim several hundred miles in any direction."

He runs a finger softly down her cheek, looming over her, and then suddenly crouches down, resting on his heels as he regards her.

"Thalia, I don't want to do this to you," he insists, gripping her jean-clad knees firmly in either hand. "Please, just join me. Be on my side; forget Jackson and Annabeth. They'll be dead soon anyway."

She swears at him fiercely, hissing with outraged fury, fighting to withdraw her knees. "How can you even _say _that, Luke? Annabeth was _everything_ to you while we were running. You used to hold her every night and sing to her and tell her stories because she couldn't get to sleep without you. You were the _whole damn world _to her; and look what you've done to yourself now. It's no wonder she hates you."

His hand slides into her unruly hair, gently teasing at the tangles.

"She sealed her fate when she chose the little Wavemover over me," he informs her shortly, abruptly withdrawing and leaving her to gather her utterly scattered thoughts, her breathing short and desperate.

"You even have a pet name for him now. How sweet," she mocks, inwardly singing with triumph as the rope around her wrists gives just the tiniest bit.

"Names have power," Luke reminds her, returning to his chair and playing idly with an ivory-handled dagger as he watches her curiously. "Didn't Chiron teach you anything?"

"There was that little issue with me being a tree most of the time I was at Camp, remember?"

"Oh, of course, how silly of me," he replies easily, balancing the dagger on the tip of his forefinger, his steady blue gaze all the while fixed on her face, and she curses because she used to be just as good at this _whatever-it-is_ as him.

She slumps further into the hard wooden chair, the dim overhead light playing across the freckles dusted on the bridge of her nose.

"I was ready to give my life for you, Luke," she says in a small voice, and this time there is absolutely nothing false about the tears that escape her eyes. "And this is how you repay me?"

He drops his head into his hands suddenly, taking a deep breath that shudders through his whole body, and she watches his broad shoulders heave as he regains control as fast as he lost it.

"You still believe in the almightiness and benevolence of the gods," he reminds her, the red rim around his blue eyes betraying his air of nonchalance and disinterest. "You are too willing to forgive them for their wrongdoing."

"And you are too quick to condemn them for their mistakes."

He growls at this, a low sound that rumbles from his chest and she cannot contain the shivers that work their way up and down her spine at the sound. (It is only later that she realises that these shivers have almost nothing to do with fear; and then must consider why that is.)

"I tire of trying to persuade you, Thalia. I don't understand why you can't just accept that they _don't care_. Look around you. Where's your precious hunting goddess? Shouldn't she be blazing in to save you right about now?"

"Untie me," she says to him, glaring. "Untie me and I'll show you why I don't need saving."

He flicks his dagger between hands, his eyes following its arc through the air and then returning to study her scowling face. He gets up again and crosses the room, the dagger glinting wickedly in his hand as he moves up to her.

She folds in on herself, desperate to avoid the blade. He just laughs softly (and the sound is all wrong because there is nothing warm about it) and then pushes the dagger between her hands and rips through the ropes binding them. She stares up at him with wariness and curiosity playing across her features, and then starts in surprise as he casts the dagger aside and takes both of her hands in his.

"Please, Thalia," he says, and something inside her wilts when she realises that he's _begging _now. "Please join me. I cannot bear to be fighting you."

"Then stop fighting," she tells him, refusing to meet his gaze and staring firmly at the floor.

_Be strong, daughter, _her father's voice sounds in her head, and she curbs the bitter wave of resentment that floods through her, reminding herself that he cannot get involved, even when she needs him most.

She can feel her willpower crumbling as Luke's lips press against her wrist, and as they move up her arm and reach her neck something snaps inside her. A steady stream of silver surrounds her in a luminous glow, and Luke draws back in utter shock as she stumbles to her feet.

"No!" she screams in horror as the silver aura gathers and suddenly shoots up through the ceiling and into the sky, tearing a hole in the wooden ceiling of the boat.

"Thalia," a soft voice says from the corner of the room, and she turns to find Artemis standing there, her bow held between loose fingers. "Sister, I warned you."

"But I _don't_," she hisses fiercely, and Luke can only stand and stare in complete confusion as the girl squares up to the goddess. "I don't, so I can still be a huntress!"

"The spell cannot lie, Thalia," Artemis says sorrowfully, gliding over and pressing a kiss to her half-sister's forehead. "You are no longer one of us."

"But I _hate _him!" Thalia screams, and overhead thunder rumbles ominously. "I _hate _him!"

But Artemis is already gone. Thalia turns wild green eyes on Luke and her expression makes him recoil.

"This is all your fault," she yells, and from nowhere a sword is in her hand and he curses himself for missing the weapon. "You and your stupid charm and grace! And I'm going to kill you," she swears, tears streaming in cascades from her cheeks. "I'm going to kill you for what you've taken from me today."

"Thalia, please," he begs, taking a careful step away from her, her body tight with total fury. He can see the grief in her eyes and he cannot even imagine what is like for her to have yet another thing taken away from her. "Don't make me fight you."

"Why?" she spits, brushing her eyes angrily with her arm. "Because you know I'll win? I was the only one who could ever beat you, remember?"

His back hits the wooden wall as she advances towards him, a contained sort of madness apparent in the tense lines of her body.

"Thalia, gods, I won't fight you. I want you to take my side, please."

"Go to hell," she says calmly, and then her arm swings back and she throws all her power into a solid punch to his face. She feels his nose break under her knuckles as electricity surges through her muscles and into his body. He spasms as he falls to the ground, and she watches as he twitches on the dirty floor.

"Gods," he gasps as his eyes slide open, glassy with pain and shock. "I forgot all about your shock tactics."

The sword dangles limply in her hand as she stands there, utterly divided with distress at having hurt him and wanting to go and beat the crap out of him.

He rolls over onto his side and manages to push himself up onto his knees, clutching feebly at the wall to raise himself to his feet. Her fingers clutch tighter at the sword in her hand, and with a flick of her finger the shield in her bracelet spins out and clangs into place. She raises it defensively, her eyes peeking uncertainly over the top as he clings to the wall with some desperation, the rocking of the boat on the stormy waters unsettling his stance.

"If you're going to kill me, Thalia, I'd much rather you just got on with it."

"You are far too cynical for your own good," she tells him, and her grip on her sword relaxes. Thunder booms in the sky as she deliberates, watching him watch her, the freckles on the top of her nose scrunching up with indecision.

Then a dull roaring reaches her ears and she turns to see a wall of water higher than Manhattan bearing down towards them, a tiny figure at the top with his hands outstretched.

"Run, Thalia," he shouts to her, waving his arm furiously. Thalia, with one agonised glance at Luke, and then back at Percy, does something that she does not understand.

She flips her shield back into its bracelet form, clicks the sword back down into its brooch form and shoves it into her pocket before grabbing Luke by the arm.

"Gods curse you," she splutters at him as they sprint for the edge of the boat.

And then, with shaking hands and nausea rising in her stomach, she centres herself and draws the breezes and air to her.

"Tartarus," Luke gasps, and Thalia opens one eye a crack to find them rising steadily into the air. She clenches her eyes shut again, and she feels Luke squeeze her hand reassuringly. She clenches it back angrily, and his groan of pain makes her feel both satisfied and remorseful.

"Thalia, what are you _doing_?!" Percy calls in abject astonishment, and with eyes still closed against the sight of roiling waters below her she wills the air to carry them both forwards. She finally opens one eye to a sliver and finds herself face-to-face with Percy, whose green eyes are flicking between her and Luke with an intent sort of disapproval.

"I can't let him die," she says forlornly, and she feels so terribly guilty as she turns to look at Luke. He is staring almost … apologetically … at Percy, and Thalia catches his eye as he shoots her a little smile that makes her feel pathetic because her heart speeds up and suddenly Percy is groaning with disappointment.

"Thalia, you aren't a huntress any more, are you?" he asks quietly, and she finally opens both eyes and shakes her head the tiniest amount.

"No, Percy. I'm not."

Percy lets out a cry of rage and the towering wall of water beneath him shudders and collapses. He falls with it, and Thalia and Luke watch from their vantage point as he plummets towards the water.

A pure black winged horse explodes into their vision and nimbly manoeuvres himself so Percy lands on his back, and then they are both up, and Thalia hopes she's imagining the disapproving look the horse is giving her.

"Thalia, how could you?" Percy asks, his whole body radiating confusion and betrayal.

"It's not like I had a choice, Seaweed Brain," she snaps, her temper suddenly taking over, and fast. "You think I would really _choose _to leave the hunters and give up everything for a murderer?"

Luke is suddenly a much stronger presence beside her, and she turns to him with confusion as he contorts with pain. Something is missing behind his eyes, and then Percy knocks her away and pulls her behind him onto the horse.

"No, Thalia, don't!" he orders firmly as she goes to reach out to Luke.

"But he'll fall …" she says, and then realises that actually he's not falling at all. He's writhing in mid-air, clutching at his hair, tearing his skin.

"Kronos is doing something to him," Percy explains. "Luke has become very susceptible, so Kronos can cause him pain very easily."

Thalia diverts her gaze from Luke's agony and stares at the broad shoulders of the boy in front of her, suddenly forced to realise that Percy really has grown up, all without her noticing.

"I'm so sorry, Percy," she tells him, and her hand rests on his upper arm. "I'm sorry for this."

He laughs, twisting his head over his shoulder to regard her. "Thalia, what are you talking about? This is _good_. Kronos is doing this because Luke has started to fight his influence."

"But why would Luke do that?" Thalia asks, shot through with confusion.

"I've spoken to Annabeth," Percy says, and Thalia only just manages to repress the roll of the eyes that is almost mandatory when Percy says Annabeth's name like that, "and she thinks that Kronos could get to Luke because all his life Luke has only ever felt resentment and hatred. She reckons that if he begins to feel anything like love, he'll move away from Kronos."

"Love?" Thalia repeats, and she cannot quite keep the note of hope out of her voice. Percy gives her an amused grin.

"Yeah. Love. Fancy that, huh? I wonder what pine-cone-faced little girl could have caused dear old Luke to feel _love_?"

Thalia hits him, putting just enough voltage in the punch to make him gasp and spasm.

"Cheater," he says, and with a twist of the horse's wings she is suddenly falling down, down, down to the roiling, wine-dark ocean.

"You ass!" she screams up at Percy, desperately trying not to look down as the fear coils up in the pit of her stomach.

Inches from the waves, she just manages to get the winds back under control and she lifts herself back up to the same height as Percy and Luke. Luke is panting now, his fingers clenching and unclenching, and Thalia propels herself over to him. She grasps his jaw firmly and forces his eyes to meet hers.

"Luke," she says clearly, her fingers pressing into his cheek. "Luke, I love you."

He contorts once more, and then his eyes flash back to meet hers and he is him again, the Luke she knew and loved as a child, and she cannot believe it at all.

He half-smiles then, weary with pain, and opens his arms.

"I love you too," he tells her softly, and she floats into his embrace, his arms encircling her back and pulling her right up against him, one of his hands going to cradle her head against his chest.

And, six thousand feet above the waves, Thalia takes everything Luke is offering her and presses her face into the crook of his neck and lets her fear of heights float out onto the gentle breeze while he breathes gratitude and love into her wild hair.

"It's over," a voice says behind her, and she peels her head out of Luke's embrace to give the black horse an odd glance. She is astonished to find a league of creatures behind him, hundreds of winged horses all colours of the sunset with riders, all waving their hands and christening the dawn air with cheers of joy.

"It's time to put that titan back where he belongs," Percy agrees, clapping the black horse on the neck, and the cheering doubles as Thalia laughs and turns back to Luke, her lips seeking his and meeting them as the morning sky explodes with happiness.

"Happy endings all round," Luke murmurs when they part, and Thalia giggles, quite unlike herself.

"Don't count your chickens," she replies, and lays her head on his shoulder to watch the ship below burst into a million glittering shards. "Kronos is still out there."

"Let him come," Percy cries from behind them, his sword shining in the sunlight. "He will be _destroyed_!"

Thalia rolls her eyes at him. "Gods, Seaweed Brain, you are such a drama-queen."

"That's rich coming from you, Pinecone Face," he retorts quickly, the laughter in his eyes giving him away. Luke chuckles at them both and pulls Thalia back against him.

"Pinecone Face..." he says quietly, his face nuzzling her neck. "I like it."

"You will call me that only when you are certain you never want to have children," she tells him, and then bursts out laughing and kisses him again. "Besides, imagine the names you could have. There are endless possibilities. Betrayal Boy, Titan Slave, Mindless Retard..." she trails off, grinning, and Percy chips in from behind her.

"Or, of course, just plain old Asshole. I quite like that one."

Luke swears good-naturedly at them both, and then encircles one arm protectively around Thalia's waist.

"Shall we go home now?" he asks almost pleadingly. "I do get somewhat unsettled dangling thousands of feet in the air."

"I'll call you a ride," Percy says happily, and is about to whistle when Thalia grins and stops him.

"No need, Seaweed Brain. I'll take it from here."

With a whoop of pure exhilaration, she lets the eager winds gather behind her and then they are shooting like comets over the heaving sea. Percy watches them disappear, shading his eyes with one hand, and then turns to regard the horse beneath him critically.

"What do you reckon, Blackjack? Can you go as fast as that?"

The horse snorts in an unimpressed fashion. "You insult me by implying I am incapable," he announces, and Percy nearly falls off as the horse puts on a manic burst of speed. He laughs with excitement as the water flashes beneath them, and catches sight of Luke and Thalia in the far distance.

"Game on," he says, and Blackjack whinnies a challenge as he streams through the air ever faster.

"Bring it, Jackson!" Luke taunts over his shoulder, and Thalia laughs as the boys rile each other.

"It's good to be back to normal," she says, and Luke casts her a sidelong glance.

"Since when have any of us been _normal_?" he inquires, and Thalia can only laugh in agreement.

"Let's start trying now."

"That sounds like a good plan," Luke replies, and laces his fingers even more securely within hers. "A very good plan indeed."

--

**A/N: **Hell, that didn't end at all the way I wanted it to. Please forgive me for its dreadful finish! I couldn't work out another way to end it.

Please no favouriting without reviewing, thank you.


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